PGA-certified professional Hannah Holden explains the essential Rules of Golf for handling lost balls and out-of-bounds shots. She details the three-minute search time limit, the proper procedure for playing a provisional ball, and the difference between standard 'stroke and distance' relief and the newer Local Rule E5 for club golfers.
The search time for a lost golf ball is strictly 3 minutes, but the clock can be paused to identify a found ball.
Always verbally declare a 'provisional ball' to your playing partners to avoid it becoming the ball in play by default.
Under standard rules, losing a ball or hitting OB requires returning to the previous spot under a one-stroke penalty (stroke and distance).
Local Rule E5 (if in effect) allows golfers to drop in the fairway near where the ball was lost/OB under a two-stroke penalty to speed up play.
Boundary markers (white stakes, fences) are fixed; you do not get free relief from them if they interfere with your swing.